Cheese Straws

Today I rolled out of bed, late (7:10, haha!) since my son is "speddin da nite" at his Grandma and Grandpa's. My tall man and I had a hot date last night watching the new Harry Potter and capped it off with a good slow morning (for me anyways, he's out mowing the lawn- maybe I should make him some waffles?). I checked my email, without insistent tugs on my leg for a glass of milk, some cereal, or to come play outside in the heat, and found a new header in my inbox from my wonderful and talented cousin (who I pretend is actually my sister in law). Well needless to say I was excited, because let's be honest, I haven't worked on my blog layout in a while and even when I do work on it, I don't have any idea what I'm doing. I should ask my legit brother in laws for help, because they're actually programmers, but it just hasn't panned out. Hopefully the layout will get more attention soon, but until then, at least there's good food around here. And good food for trade for some programmers help.

I can, however, upload a new header, so I did that and sang Kristi's praises in my quiet little house. And since I can't post again without a recipe, I thought now was the time to post Ina's cheese straws I made for Bastille day a few weeks ago (because it was Kristi, brilliant Kristi, who requested them). This simple appetizer requires only a sheet of puff pastry, an egg, some cheese, and some herbs. It only takes a few minutes in the oven and leaves a big impression- I'll just say that even the toddlers wolfed these down. These make a fun appetizer and everyone was more than willing to munch away, but I think you could even turn these into dinner with a nice salad or soup. I know I'll make them again.

PS Don't forget to check out Kristi's photography and design site here... She also does amazing invitations and announcements.

Cheese Straws
from Ina Garten
2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry (such as Pepperidge Farm), defrosted overnight in the refrigerator
Flour, for dusting
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup finely grated Gruyère cheese (or Swiss)
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves (Italian seasoning would work here too)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Roll out each sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured board until it is 10- by 12-inches. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush the surface of the pastry. Sprinkle each sheet evenly with 1⁄4 cup of the Parmesan, 1⁄2 cup of the Gruyère, 1⁄2 teaspoon of the thyme, 1⁄2 teaspoon of the salt, and some pepper. With the rolling pin, lightly press the flavorings into the puff pastry. Cut each sheet crosswise with a floured knife or pizza wheel into 11 or 12 strips. Twist each strip and lay on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and puffed. Turn each straw and bake for another 2 minutes. Don't over bake or the cheese will burn. Cool and serve at room temperature.